BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 185, 7 August 1935, Page 9

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

' COMPLAINT BY PARENT.

LEGAL POSITION IN QUESTION

A complaint made by a parent whose children attend a country school caused some discussion on the question of Bible reading in schools at the meeting of the Auckland Education Board this morning. The question was raised as to whether the use of half. an hour of school time in the afternoon was legal The matter was referred to the school committee concerned for a report.

It was reported that the parent had objected to his children being deprived of half an hour's instruction in ordinary school subjects. Bible reading was held in the school from 1.30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. The children who did not attend had to wait outside in the cold. Their entry into the class afterwards was noticeable.

"That half-hour cuts into the regula tion two hours of school in the afternoon," said Mr. T. U. Welle, who presided. "It's not strictly legal."

Mr. C. It. Munro said that in country schools where a minister had to attend several schools it was very awkward to arrange suitable hours. The question of loss of school time was a consideration, said Mr. Wells, but where it was lost in the morning it was suffered without infringing the law. "Where no objection is taken, I don't think it matters," said a member.

It was pointed out that the parent concerned did not object to the instruction being given, but he wanted it to be given in the first half-hour of the morning or the last half-hour of the day, so that his children would not be kept waiting outside. This was considered reasonable, but ae it was stated that the whole subject was controversial in the district it was decided to refer it to the school committee for a report.